Partnership Vaccinates Seniors At Public Housing In Evanston

EVANSTON, IL — A coronavirus vaccination program at public housing for seniors in Evanston launched this week, with more than half of eligible residents taking part in the first event.

Residents of Victor Walchirk Apartments, 2300 Noyes Court, had an initial opportunity to be vaccinated Monday without having to leave their homes. The first vaccination event at Jane Perlman Apartments, 1900 Sherman Ave., took place Tuesday.

COVID-19 vaccine doses for staff and residents of Housing Authority of Cook County buildings have been provided through Walgreens and the federal Pharmacy Partnership Program, which has also been tasked with administering vaccines at nursing homes.

Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle said getting vaccines to low-income seniors who live in subsidized housing is an issue of racial equity.

"This effort represents another way that Cook County is working to ensure equitable distribution of vaccines," Preckwinkle said in a statement. "Over half of HACC’s senior residents identify as Black and/or Latinx. Vaccine distribution is a racial equity issue and we’re proud to be able to bring these vaccines directly to our residents’ doorsteps."

Since Evanston city staff do not yet release detailed vaccination data — failing to respond to a request for data showing its geographic distribution of COVID-19 vaccines — it is not clear how many non-white residents of the city have received doses from its health department, one of four in suburban Cook County.

Citing the disproportionate damage of COVID-19 to Black and Latino communities, which suffered from shorter life expectancies heading into the pandemic, Gov. J.B. Pritzker last month included everyone over age 65 in the Phase 1b vaccine priority group.

Evanston city officials planned to begin lowering the minimum age for vaccination eligibility to 73 for the first time this week as part of the city's vaccination efforts.

Last week in Evanston, officials held a vaccination clinic at the Levy Center for "frontline City staff critical to the continuity of operations," which included the mayor and city manager.

Essential workers who are not employed by the city have not begun to receive vaccines from the city's health department, which are available by invitation only.

County officials hope to vaccinate more than 1,100 residents of public housing in suburban Cook County through the partnership with Walgreens, which launched last month in the south suburbs.

Two more vaccination events, in three and six weeks, are planned for residents and staff at both Evanston apartment buildings, who will have an opportunity to receive a second dose — or, for those who opted out this week, a first one.